The Last Boy and Girl in the World by: Siobhan Vivian

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary
Published: April 26, 2016 by: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 432
Rating: 1/5 stars

Keeley Hewitt's town is underwater. After a raging storm threatens to destroy nearly everything in it's path, Keeley and her friends in Aberdeen county decide to make the most of it, by living life to the fullest and taking chances. Soon, Aberdeen is filled with parties and excitement as the teens have their fun, but for Keeley, all she wants to do is to try one last time to win over her long-time crush. Will she be able to do it, before everything turns to chaos?

Do not let this book fool you. At first glance, judging by the title and cover, I thought that this book would be a thrilling dystopian novel about *literally* the last boy and girl on earth. Instead, I got a crappy love story about a whiny white teen and her even less diverse friends, as they party it up while their town is in shambles.

Really, there was nothing I liked about this book. Keeley, the protagonist, was as bitchy as bitchy could be. I'm sorry, but your whole life is underwater and while your disabled dad is trying to cope, you whine that your crush won't love you? Ok girl, you need to get your priorities straight. This girl pissed me off to the core with the fact that she didn't seem to care about anyone but herself.

The other characters in this book were not amazing either. There was not a single person in this book that wasn't a straight white teenager who just wanted to have fun. I'm really sick of these pre-apocalyptic books that just depict privileged teens making stupid decisions as opposed to, you know, being with their loved ones. It's just so stupid.

And don't even get me started on the love story here. It was tropey and gross, love triangles, insta-love, you name it, this book had it. The characters had no chemistry at all besides the fact that Keeley was practically obsessed with her crush that she seemed to put everything else aside to get to him. And get this: he was just your typical young brooding white male.

This is one of those books where I'd say: don't judge it by it's title. What you'll get is an unoriginal romance with some silly teenagers in the mix. Don't waste your time.

Have you read The Last Boy and Girl in the World? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Ashes to Ashes (Burn for Burn #3) by: Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Paranormal
Published: September 16, 2014 by: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 387
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
*highlight white text to reveal major spoilers*

Be prepared for the most rambly review ever, because I really need to rant. That being said, this review is also covered in spoilers, so if you have not read this book, do not highlight the white areas,or don't even read this review at all. Here we go:

Ashes to Ashes was the thrilling, (and somewhat shocking) conclusion to the Burn for Burn trilogy. Here, Mary is back in full force, ready to get revenge on not only Reeve, but also the girls she once trusted. Meanwhile, Kat and Lillia are still trying to come to terms with their futures, and why everything seems to be going wrong ever since Mary disappeared. 

I was quite impressed with this book. Halfway through the series, there is a genre change when more paranormal aspects appear. I thought that this added quite a lot of interest to the book, however some things I felt were left unresolved. I didn't find the characters strong either.

Like I said, I loved the rising action, and the eerieness that was added. I was kept intrigued throughout the entire book, and nothing left me uninterested. I loved how this book contained two genres that worked perfectly with each other, without being cheesy. There were twists and turns that kept me wanting to find out what happens next.

This book however, was kind of a let down in comparison to the other two. I felt as if a lot of the characters annoyed me ,and most of them were impulsive, naive and conceited. Lillia should know better to not go after her deceased friend's ex-boyfriend! Even if they weren't on good terms, it's simple ethics. I found her to be a bit whiny, so oblivious to everything happening, and manipulated by Reeve.

I also didn't like Mary as much. I found her to be kind of harsh in a sense. She went out of her way to make Kat and Lillia's lives miserable, which I don't think was fair. I thought for sure she would kill them in the end. Even though in the end she turned out to be good, I didn't like her actions leading up to it.

Now to that ending, that dreaded ending. The whole series leads up to this dramatic conclusion that: doesn't happen. The book ends in the blink of an eye, and then we get a three page epilogue telling us about all of the character's lives after graduation. It was kind of a waste of time, because I want to know more about what happened to Mary, not that Reeve and Lillia live happily ever after. 

All this being said, I enjoyed reading about the paranormal aspects, and I thought that Kat and Alex provided some great comic relief. They were by far my favourites from this book. I just found that this ending lacked a lot, and I wished Lillia and Mary were portrayed differently. 

Have you read Ashes to Ashes? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Fire with Fire (Burn for Burn #2) by: Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary
Published: August 13, 2013 by: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 517
Rating: 5/5 stars
*highlight white text to reveal spoilers*

Fire with Fire was the thrilling sequel to Han and Vivian's Burn for Burn series. Here, Lillia, Mary and Kat return to try and pick up the pieces from their homecoming accident. But nothing has changed, and the people who have wronged them are still in full force. To top it all off, Mary's been acting weird, and is determined to find out why she is "different" than everyone else.

OMG THIS BOOK WAS INSAANNNNEEEE!!!!! Phew, glad I got that off my chest. This book was suspenseful, passionate and such a surprise! The book captivated me the entire way through, and the ending blew my mind.

The characters came back stronger than ever. Kat was so determined and kept her hilarious self, Lillia was much more caring and powerful, and even sweet little Mary broke out of her shell and fought for what she wanted. The girls now know their limits, and they were a lot more strategic. I found them to be very intelligent.

The plot was so clever, intense and fast-paced. There were so many plot twists, and there was never a dull moment. I couldn't put this book down. The antagonists were as horrid as ever, but they still added to the plot amazingly and kept me wanting to read more. It was one big thrill-ride.

*Now this next paragraph is loaded with spoilers, so I've highlighted the whole thing, if you don't want to know the ending, then skip reading it all together*

Now let's talk about that ending!!! Mary is a ghost?! I knew from the moment her aunt started acting weird that something was up, but I never in a million years would have guessed that Mary isn't even actually in the human-world! My heart was racing when she found out, and when she started talking about taking "a life for a life", that's when I realized that I needed to read the third book. It was so unexpected, but I couldn't have asked for anything more. 

Overall, I loved this book because of how shocking it was. Nothing was what it seemed, and I can't wait to read the third book.

Have you read Fire with Fire? What did you think?

Also, I've just realized that this is my 100'th post! I never in a million years thought I would have made it this far, and here's to 100 more :)

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Burn for Burn (Burn for Burn #1) by: Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary 

Published: September 18, 2012 by: Simon and Schuster 

Pages: 368

Rating: 5/5 Stars
*highlight white text to reveal spoilers*

Burn for Burn was the thrilling story of three girls who are trying to get revenge on those who have done them wrong. 

First we have Lillia, who wants to show her old friend who is now dating her freshman sister who’s boss. Then there’s Kat, who wants to put the queen bee of her school in her place. Lastly, there’s Mary, who wants to show the boy who bullied her that she is stronger than he thinks. The girls are not friends, they barely know each other. But they form a pact to help each other make things right.

I loved this book. It was so chilling, so unique, and so entertaining. Everything about the plot line and the characters was just captivating. To the first positive, this book was the most unpredictable book I’ve read. The concept was so different, and there were many plot twists. I couldn’t put it down because every corner had a twist and turn. Secondly, all three girls were so versatile and amazingly written. I loved reading about Lillia’s responsibility, Kat was just hilarious, and Mary was so sweet. I really felt for all three of them.

There were also some characters who I loved to hate. Alex just really grated on my nerves, he was so fake! Rennie was your typical mean girl, she was just awful! Reeve was a straight up jerk. The fact that he almost drove Mary to suicide, made me sick. Then again, these antagonists added to the interest and suspense of the book.

I know that Jenny Han is practically the contemporary queen, so I had high expectations from this book. This is the first book I've read from Siobhan Vivian, so I was curious to see how the two authors would blend in writing styles. I feel like both of them wrote to their full potential, and everything flowed nicely. I will definitely be reading more from Vivian.

Overall, an amazing book. It was such a cool concept and I can’t wait to read the next. That ending was so interesting! I need to see what happens next. 

Have you read Burn for Burn? What did you think? 

Emily @ Paperback Princess